A true client partner
“The way you serve your clients is so important & you have more control about this than you think.”
Regardless of your industry, there is one universal truth: the people who put their money into your business want to feel a positive difference. Whether you’re getting a coffee, selling products through an online boutique, providing strategic business consultation, building a website or anything in between - your client wants to feel good about their decision to give you their hard earned money and work with you. The way you serve your clients is so important and you have more control about this than you think. Here are a few cursory notes to think about how you might improve the experience they have with you:
Put yourself in their shoes. This sounds so much easier than it really is, because in order to do this you have to remove your biases or perceptions about what is important and really listen to what they have to say. For instance, because of COVID-19 many businesses are re-evaluating their annual forecasts, looking for ways to reduce expenses to try and avoid layoffs. You might have a product that is perfect for improving online video calls (you would think it’s the PERFECT time to sell it), but they might be struggling to make payroll and that seems like a superfluous expense. I’m not suggesting you throw in the towel, but consider how you go about explaining why your product is so great. Will it save them money? Will your service improve employee morale (potentially decreasing risk of attrition, which will inevitably cost the company more in the long run)? Try to make the benefits of your product or service truly meet the needs of the client in the way they want to hear it.
Reevaluate your communications. Starting off with the same principle as above, truly think about what the other person might be going through. Then, think about what YOU might be going through. Are you stressed? Frustrated? Whether you intend to or not, when you are feeling something, the tone does carry through in your communications - particularly when it’s all through email or texting. Before you click send, pause, maybe step away from your computer, come back and reread what you were planning to send. It seems excessive but the extra effort does go a long way to avoid misinterpretations.
Listen & learn. When you’re working with a client, they share so much information. Sometimes that can fall on deaf ears or the subtleties can go unnoticed. When you’re in a conversation over the phone or video conference, listen to what your client has to say. Ask questions about what they’ve told you if you’re unclear or not 100% sure of what they meant, be inquisitive but from the perspective that you’re listening to learn and help.
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